Doncaster Rovers: Injury crisis threatens start of season

Craig Alcock is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury

Liam Hoden

Published:05:59Friday 22 July 2016

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Doncaster Rovers are facing a major injury crisis with several players set to miss the start of the new season.

This weekend’s planned friendly at Kidderminster Harriers has been cancelled due to concerns that Rovers would not be able to send a large enough squad as well as attempting to avoid the situation growing worse.

Rovers’ youth team remains in Sweden for the Gothia Cup, preventing Darren Ferguson from calling upon youngsters from within the club.

Joe Wright (toe) also hobbled off and joined Mathieu Baudry (Achilles), Gary McSheffrey (knee) and Paul Keegan (thigh) on the injury list.

Keegan is back in training while Ferguson was confident Wright would not be sidelined too long.

McSheffrey suffered an injury setback which will sideline him for the majority of Rovers’ pre-season.

The 33-year-old forward cut short his loan spell with Rovers at the end of last season due to a knee injury.

Since making his switch from Scunthorpe United permanent over the summer, McSheffrey has picked up another knock and has not featured in the warm-up games against Rossington Main, Middlesbrough and Newcastle United.

“We just need to keep an eye on him because he’s picked up a knock,” boss Ferguson told The Star.

“His problem has been that he didn’t get as much rehab as we’d hoped after the initial injury. There were one or two different reasons why we couldn’t start that earlier.

“So he’s a little bit behind and he certainly won’t be available for York.”

McSheffrey might have a chance of featuring in Rovers’ final friendly against his former club Coventry City next Friday at Nuneaton Town.

Though the Kidderminster friendly has been cancelled, Rovers will still travel to York City on Tuesday.